Friday, April 13, 2012

I happened upon an As-Is Goodwill on a side street the other day...Funny...I've been on that side street before...How had I NEVER seen it?

As most As-Is' are, it was a bit smelly and a whole lot messy.

Big cardboard "crates" on pallets.

Easy in. Easy out.

This is where you find the best stuff...the stuff the regular RETAIL Goodwill's don't want or that didn't sell.

I found a handful of thimbles. Some clothing to use in a couple of sewing projects.

And this "hulking" beast...

This guy weighs a ton! Well, not literally a ton, but let's just say, if you dropped it or got a finger caught under it, you would know it...

It was literally a steal...It's an adding machine from about 1939. It STILL WORKS!!! It's missing a #1, but...

I'm trying to decide whether to order a replacement key off of Etsy or Ebay...the keys cost more than I paid for the WHOLE thing...

OR

dismantle it for the guts, the body and the keys for art creations...?

What would you do???

*****

The other AWESOME find was this...

It was in one of those cardboard crates...it has A LOT of CHARACTER! And no one wanted it!!!

It doesn't smell. It's not covered in pet hair. It's perfect!!!

Soft. Muted. Worn.

Very, very, very worn.

The tattered edges.

The holes.

The stains.

...at .79 cents per pound, just over $3.00, I think it will make the perfect base for some wall art...

Add a few buttons. Some meaningful quotes, poetry or song lyrics. A bit more dimension and texture with wire, paint, more fabric layers....

Now I just need to decide whether I should make ONE LARGE piece, or cut it up into multiple sections, medium and small, and create numerous pieces...This quilt seems larger than a full, but not quite queen-size.

Welcome.

I'm just a country girl, having the time of her life, treasure hunting daily, seeing the good in all things that others might consider worthless. I love creating mixed media artwork and home décor items using found objects...and I've just recently started dabbling in wearable art jewelry. Many of my fixed-up finds have been published in a number of magazines and have won accolades. But my life spent in Southern Oregon, with my family and friends, is the MOST important to me. Without their support and encouragement, I might just be another hoarder! LOL I'm enjoying meeting like-minded persons and sharing ideas, dreams, and experiences...and hope to have the studio open to the public someday soon.

Artist Bio

Tina Schiefer works and lives in Southern Oregon, where she and her husband own and operate a themed fabrication company serving the entertainment industry, E.B. Effects and Design. She is the proud mother of three grown sons; is a themed media, assemblage artist using primarily found objects and cast-offs; and will soon be hosting and teaching mixed media, jewelry, and home décor related workshops in her new studio, The Rusty Monkey. She is enjoying meeting other artists with like minds and sharing the adventure! She was an ICE Resin Creative Team Member 2011-2012. Many of her creations can be seen in a variety of magazines such as Somerset Home, Somerset Gallery, Art Doll Quarterly, Somerset Memories, Mingle, Somerset Life, Belle Armoire Jewelry and Jewelry Affaire, and on the spring issue of Create & Decorate. Most recently, one of her assemblages, Folly - a parasol, won 2nd place in the Spellbinders Explore Beyond - Craft to Win contest.